The global COVID-19 pandemic caused immediate and intense changes throughout education, including a reliance on remote instruction. For school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers, who rely on experiential and hands-on learning, the changes brought about by COVID-19 required a dramatic pivot in their work responsibilities. The changing…

This brief presents findings from several Chapin Hall studies on vulnerable children and youth to raise the issue of what it would mean to improve academic achievement in underperforming schools. Vulnerable children and youth are those who experience crises or disruptions in their lives, often accompanied by parental absence or inability to meet…

Research has shown that students who like school have higher academic achievement and a lower incidence of disciplinary problems, absenteeism, truancy, and dropping out of school than do those who dislike school. Thus, one way to improve academic outcomes is to increase students' attraction to school. This study focused on the role of teachers in…

We analyse two narratives of teacher-facilitator teams producing elementary science curricula and disseminating them to their peers. We draw on these stories to interpret how teacher-facilitators position themselves with respect to other educators (e.g. peer teachers and development-team members), to real and imagined students and parents, to…

The article explores the consequences of new systems of shared decision making and governance for the assessment of principals, presenting case studies of two Chicago-area school districts that made substantial progress expanding teachers' professional roles in school- and district-level governance. (SM)

This paper focuses on four participants in the public schools: parents, students, teachers, and administrators. These parties make up the key school community. This discussion highlights the rights and responsibilities of each of these major groups, especially in the curriculum, budget, and personnel areas of educational organization. In order to…

Maintains that alternative assessment puts a student in the role of a teacher preparing for a lesson. Asserts that students need different types of resources to foster student curiosity, provide direction, and support exploration. Provides a nine-item annotated bibliography of books, book series, and graphic collections. (CFR)

According to a recent survey, school superintendents in Illinois generally favor the kinds of educational reforms being urged by national commissions on educational excellence. Over 100 superintendents from randomly selected elementary, secondary, and combined school districts in Illinois responded to the 104-item questionnaire. The survey sought…

Recommendations arising from the Illinois Project for School Reform are outlined in this document. First, the problem of declining academic standards is addressed and it is recommended that new curricula and rigorous standards be adopted. Local districts are urged to adopt a core curriculum, a competencies curriculum, or an integrated themes…

Personalized learning: Everyone knows it needs to happen, but how? It is one thing to believe in the importance of high school reform. It is quite another to embrace a system that helps every student leave high school with a diploma and plans for postsecondary education or training that lead to productive and self-sufficient adulthoods. This…

Living in an age of communication, literacy is an extremely integral part of our society. We are impacted by literature during our infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. "Literacy for the New Millennium" includes information from specialists in the field who discuss the influence of popular culture, media, and technology on…

This paper provides answers to commonly asked questions concerning the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education with special attention to inclusion in Illinois. Questions and answers are organized into the following sections: definitions; cost and finance; policy; roles and responsibilities; delivery of services; staff…